2019 GMC Sierra 1500 Steering Problems

driving and truck started to misfire (due to collapsed lifter after shop diagnosis) that then made my truck do reduced steering assist and my wheel got super hard to turn that almost sent me in the ditch at 60MPH and also turned off my Electronic Stability Control and also turned on my Service Parking Brake drove straight to the shop and parked it very lucky i did not crash and the fact that multiple people this has happend too GM need to recall from the 2019 and up for these lifters after reading about it.

NHTSA ID

11733712

Incident

Apr 17, 2026

While driving 13-15mph down the road the front right upper control arm ball bearing sheared off causing the tire to lean in rubbing the wheel well, forcing my truck to veer to the left across the other lane of traffic. Luckily there wasn't any car next to me.

NHTSA ID

11718386

Incident

Feb 13, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked and failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was an abnormal sound coming from the transmission. The message "Reduced Engine Power” was displayed and the transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the transmission was repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, and the transmission was replaced. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, the A/C failed to function as intended. The contact had to drive for fifteen minutes for cold air to come from the A/C vents. The vehicle was taken to Houston Cadillac and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and informed the contact that there was a short circuit. However, no cause for the short circuit failure was found. An unknown repair was done on the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, there was an abnormal sound coming from the steering wheel. The vehicle was taken to Payne Rio Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, where it was diagnosed that one of the bolts found on the steering column was missing and the other bolt was loose. The vehicle was repaired. The contact was informed that the A/C condenser had failed. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The entire A/C assembly was replaced. The contact stated that the failure had occurred soon after the vehicle was purchased. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID

11704348

Incident

Apr 24, 2023

Without any notice, I lost my power steering while driving. The wheel jerked to the side, and when I corrected I realized that I no longer had power steering. I was still able to "steer" my vehicle, but not without brute force. If it were someone of lesser ability (e.g. elderly) it may have led to a devastating outcome. I have yet to get the issue diagnosed, as it just happened yesterday, but it certainly is concerning! I just wanted to bring this to the attention of the NHTSA, as I've since learned that I'm not the first GM Sierra owner to suffer this malfunction.

NHTSA ID

11696958

Incident

Oct 31, 2025

The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that occasionally, while driving approximately 57 MPH, the vehicle violently shuddered, causing the steering wheel to become difficult to turn in either direction. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was determined that the driver’s and passenger’s side front tires needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the same local dealer where it was diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 13,000.

NHTSA ID

11693333

Incident

Apr 4, 2023

Mileage

13,000 mi

Power Steering failure. Loss of power steering while driving the vehicle made any turns nearly impossible. Dealership identified root cause and a problem with a grounding strap. They reported that in addition to our vehicle, another GMC Sierra 1500 had come in the same day with the same problem. Loss of power steering while driving can lead to collision. This should be a safety recall.

NHTSA ID

11677558

Incident

Jul 29, 2025

My 2019 GMC Sierra Denali shut off suddenly while I was stopped in traffic. The engine died, the steering wheel locked, and the dashboard displayed warning messages including “ESC,” “power,” and another I didn’t catch. The truck would not restart despite attempts. The check engine light is now on. This happened without warning, and I had no prior mechanical issues. The vehicle is well maintained, garage-kept, and recently received a full service including oil change, brake work, and 75K-mile recommended service. I fear this is related to a known issue affecting other GMC engines under investigation for sudden power loss.

NHTSA ID

11665652

Incident

Jun 7, 2025

This is a second report of an issue that first happened in February 2025, the dealer replaced the battery and called it fixed. On Friday 5-2-2025 I started the vehicle and as I was driving the dash lit up with these warnings: Service Trailer brake system, Service ESC, Brake System Failure 62 mph top speed, Steering assist reduced drive with care, The vehicle steering got stiff and brake pedal went to the floor board with a little braking available if I stood very hard on the brake pedal. I got off to the side of the road, cycled the truck on and off and was able to drive off. It did this three times before I could get it to the dealer the next day, If my daughter was driving I would have expected that two of the three would have resulted in a wreck as she would not have been strong enough to steer or stop the vehicle. The dealer had it three days and replaced the brake master cylinder and called it fixed, I picked the vehicle up and on the way home I stopped for gas, after the gas station the dash displayed: Service brake assist, I turned right around and took it back to the dealer, they checked the code and said the brake assist module was drawing too much current, I picked the vehicle back up three days later, they said they bleed the air out of the brake system and called it fixed. No one wants to ride with me and my daughter is begging me to trade the truck, they call it a death trap waiting to happen. GM says it is all normal issues.

NHTSA ID

11661258

Incident

May 2, 2025

2019 GMC SIERRA 1500 AT4 2019 VIN: [XXX] On 10/31/2023 the transmission was replaced at Mileage: 72,875. The transmission at Jim Ellis Buick, GMC, after the truck would not drive over 40 miles in speeded. 12/23/23, 86788215, Engine Oil Cooler Hose had to be changed. Truck had to be towed from a public parking lot to the mechanic. The engine is burning oil, the warning messages say add oil, I have been adding oil once a month 1 quart. The steering wheel was locked and the truck had to be towed from a public parking lot to the mechanic. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11659178

Incident

Oct 31, 2023

While driving at low speed the power assisted steering quit working. I could steer but with great effort. Drove two blocks home. Shut it off and restarted. Everything was fine after restarting. I’m afraid to drive the vehicle after this experience.

NHTSA ID

11644298

Incident

Feb 22, 2025

On a normal trip to work the dash light lit up then gave me these warnings. Service ESC, Service Trailer brake, Brake system Failure-62 mph top speed, steering assist reduced. Dashboard lights that were on, ABS Check Engine, Brake, Traction Control. When I tried to slow down the power assist was gone on the brakes, I had a little braking when I pushed the pedal all the way to the floor as hard as i could, when I went to turn the wheel was hard to turn. I have had no issues like this before. After I managed to stop and turn off then on the vehicle everything came back expect for a warning to service the trailer brakes and the check engine light was still on. It all cleared after a few more restarts. I got the truck to the dealer 4 days later and they said it was the battery going bad even though I was not having any problem starting the vehicle, I had them replace the battery. I am unsure if the problem is resolved, time will tell. What I am sure of is if my daughter had been driving the truck, she would not have had the strength to get the brakes to work or turn the wheel, she would have had a accident for sure.

NHTSA ID

11642476

Incident

Feb 6, 2025

Incident 12/29/2024 while making a stop at a Stop sign while making a left turn steering wheel broke free with no resistance what so ever??? Turned off the vehicle opened the hood discovered the intermediate steering shafts had separated??? retaining bolt missing causing shafts to slip out of each other, putting my life & passenger's at high risk how this happened there is no explanation to this factory defect.

NHTSA ID

11633080

Incident

Dec 29, 2024

The steering wheel locked up with no warning while driving and truck shuts down and displays no power steering assist service. ERC warning twice in one week.

NHTSA ID

11628299

Incident

Nov 27, 2024

Truck showed check engine light and popup message to Service ESC, vehicle disable traction control. Before being able to have the vehicle scanned for error codes (after sitting parked turned off for a while, all errors cleared. Several days later when turning vehicle on traction control warning light, parking break warning light, and stability control warning light all turned on, service ESC message popped up again, PRNDL position indicator light turned off and vehicle began to have a clicking noise in the steering column when break was pressed. There is a multiple year long thread on this topic on the silveradosierra forum entitled "service-esc-and-service-power-steering" it appears that dealer and GM help are limited and the issue often goes away and recurs.

NHTSA ID

11617659

Incident

Oct 2, 2024

While driving on the freeway the power steering lost it's power. There was so much resistance from the steering wheel it became almost impossible to control the vehicle. There was a notice on the info screen " power steering needs service. I was able to get the truck to a GMC dealer where a certified mechanic had to replace the steering gear motor. The truck has been lightly used and only has 35,070 miles on the odometer.

NHTSA ID

11611971

Incident

Jul 26, 2024

The contact owns a 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 25 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormally loud sound and the front driver's side wheel detached. The vehicle came to a complete stop. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the upper control arm had disconnected from the steering wheel ball joint, and it was determined that the upper control joint, steering wheel column, and front driver's and passenger's side wheel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle had received an alignment twenty days prior to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

NHTSA ID

11609898

Incident

Aug 20, 2024

Mileage

70,000 mi

2019 GMC Sierra 1500 SLT. Truck would not start on several occassions. By playing with brake, shift, and steering wheel truck would start again., Also would show warning notices, last one being {engine oil low-add oil}, even right after I just had the oil changed. This last time it would not start I paid to have my mechanic come to me to check it out. He tested a lot and thought it might be the starter so I then had to pay to have it flat-bedded to their garage. What he finally found was a BUNCH of wires worn through in a major wiring harness. It was caused by the wiring harness being next to the steering knuckle and the steering was wearing through the wires exposing bare wires. The mechanic and I see this as a major safety concern and a possible fire hazard. He has told me others have had similer problems . I believe this should definitly be a safety recall for these vehicles. My mechanic states that a new wiring harness olone is about $1500.00 plus a LOT of labor to install it. I do not believe that I should have to pay for a defect in GMC building this truck I have a picture of this mess of wires if you can help me with this. Don't know how to upload the photo I have but would gladly send it to you, Please respond back to this. Thank You Dennis Dorn

NHTSA ID

11598350

Incident

Jun 3, 2024

When starting the truck yesterday, not all the button lights came on and the power steering was no longer operational. I was fortunate the power steering issue did not materialize while the vehicle was in operation on the road. No warning prior to the failure was given by the vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11585094

Incident

Apr 22, 2024

While making a righthand turn at approximately 10-15 mph, my passenger side front wheel failed at the ball joint and collapsed. Reviewing the carfax, this is the 2nd time this has happened to this vehicle (the first was on the driver side wheel). I noticed Safety Recall Report 21V-718 seems to describe the issue I'm facing with the "front upper control arm experiencing accelerated wear... leading to ball joint separation", but according to GM, since no unsatisfied recalls are shown on my VIN report, there's nothing they're willing to do. I believe the failed part number is 573. This failure left my truck sitting in the middle of the road obviously with no way to move it other than a tow truck dragging it onto his bed.

NHTSA ID

11584731

Incident

Apr 22, 2024

Loss of steering multiple times. Very dangerous to try and drive. GMC says shut off vehicle for 20 minutes and try again. Once it worked otherwise it continued to lose power steering, either driving or turning on. I have went into GMC forums and found out there are thousands more people that this has happened to. Thank you for what you people do.

NHTSA ID

11582094

Incident

Apr 4, 2024

Abs, traction control and trailer break system failure. Check engine light comes on and goes off after 5 cycles. It also says ESC warning drive with care and it flashes also and steering reduced

NHTSA ID

11499667

Incident

Dec 28, 2022

The truck has 50,000 miles, purchased new. I don't tow or go off road. I take it to the dealer every 5,000 miles. While driving 65-70mph on the interstate (4-lanes), my dash lit up with five messages and the "Brake, Traction Control and Engine" lights illuminated. I applied brakes but the pedal went to the floor and the steering veered to the left causing me to move out of my lane. The truck then went to limp mode and I was unable to go above 43mph the remainder of the trip home. After taking it to my dealer the next day, I was told they "found air in the brake fluid system due to secondary seal failure in brake master cylinder, and was quoted a new cylinder (PN 86788482) for $1708.06. RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS: >Component failure: brake master cylinder (eBoost Brake Unit Assembly) / Brake System Failure >It was just me in the vehicle - brake failure on the highway put me and others on the road at major risk >Yes - After paying to diagnose, I was told this was brake master cylinder failure. ...GM issued a Customer Satisfaction Program (N202324120) for a limited number of MY2021 Silverado/Sierra trucks (mine is a MY2019) for dealers to replace the eBoost brake unit assemblies due to failure >Part has not been inspected by my insurance rep./I do not know if anyone else has inspected >The warnings illuminated on the dash at the time of brake failure while on the interstate 1. "Service ESC" 2. "Service Trailer Brake System" 3. "Steering Assist Is Reduced Drive with Care" 4. "Service Brake Assist" 5. "Brake System Failure 43 MPH Top Speed" 6. Also, the BRAKE, Traction Control and Engine lights illuminated

NHTSA ID

11495342

Incident

Nov 22, 2022

When driving my truck I lost all power steering got notifications to service abs in 7 days, service esp, and service power steering as well as a stability at light being on. Could no control my vehicle, restarted the truck 4 times, and it disappeared, garage could not pull any codes. This is VERY unsafe!!!!!! And has been issued a recall in past models and years. I could have been killed, for a problem the GM is aware of and have not issued a recall yet.

NHTSA ID

11474987

Incident

Jul 18, 2022

i started the vehicle messages popped up stating service power steering drive with care, esc drive with care. at that time i had no power steering and the brakes were spongy. i then drove a short distance stopped turned off the engine and restarted with the same issues. drove home on the next day everything had reset. i then went and set a appointment with the dealer, they found nothing wrong no tripped codes nothing.

NHTSA ID

11432878

Incident

Sep 8, 2021

On 6/24 I drove my 2019 gmc Sierra denali truck 2 miles to the store was in there 10 minutes come out to start it and a ESC service warning message appeared then another message appeared say service power steering drive safe then my traction light came on then my trailer light I tried turning truck off then waited 2 minutes pumped brakes started it again same messages appeared I called my husband to tell him I said I will try to drive home as I preceeded to put in gear and back out of parking spot I lost my steering it froze up then lost my brakes I immediately put in gear turned off called husband to come get me as I was waiting I tried to start again when I did all messages were gone and I had steering as well.as brakes but at this point I was a an emotional wreck we just had a horrific scare in same truck on a major interstate my husband completely lost brakes and almost wrecked only to find there was a brake module reprogramming recall on the truck we had not been notified by mail yet so now this if I was driving on main road this could have been fatal so my husband called and dropped off vehicle on 6/25 told them every detail they said they call when done so on July 6th was told truck was ready when he arrived they handed him our keys and invoice said have nice day my husband got to truck read invoice only to find they did nothing to truck he went in to service said why isn't it fixed they said because no codes come up but if it happens again bring it back my husband said what if im driving it and it happens this can cause a fatal accident the service Mgr said just bring it in so he said so if my wife gets callhet husband was killed along with another family because his steering and brakes failed your going to tell her sorry for loss truck had no codes is now we have a truck we paid $58500.00 that is unsafe to drive i refuse to put my life or others in jeopardy im an emotional wreck I spent 2 days sick with worry can anyone help with guide us to some help

NHTSA ID

11424480

Incident

Jun 24, 2021